Small Business Marketing Ideas and Tips for Small Business Owners
- (Photo : Photo by ELEVATE)
While it's true to an extent that an entrepreneur should be a jack-of-all-trades, no small business owner can be a pro at everything. Often, being able to run a business is difficult enough as is, let alone learning how to handle your marketing strategy. Luckily, you don't need to run off and get a business degree to successfully execute a few marketing campaigns and there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind that will help you stay ahead of the curve and spread your brand awareness.
Don't forget about traditional marketing
Contrary to popular belief, "old-school" marketing still has many useful applications. Just think about it: How often do you get a promotional email from a company that you immediately delete? Compare that to how often you throw away physical mail you receive, especially if it's an offer, discount, or promotion? Chances are, you spend more time with physical mail than you do digital and the same goes for many other consumers as well. In fact, traditional marketing services sometimes have a more personal touch that resonates with occasionally cynical customers that are used to being on the receiving end of marketing and advertising efforts.
If you're not comfortable handling print materials in-house, you'll find plenty of services like Mines Press that are experts at developing, proofing, and printing materials for a variety of industries. Though they're particularly adept with financial services, they're no stranger to other businesses looking to refresh their materials.
Personalize connections
Some entrepreneurs think it's enough to create a handful of social media profiles, post once or twice a week, and call it a day. While that may have worked well enough back in the heyday of social media, with its present ubiquity, that's no longer going to cut it. Since most every business has an online presence, it's more so about how you're able to stand out and distinguish yourself from a crowd of competitors. This is why it's critical to use your social media as a tool for starting a dialogue as opposed to a means of one-way communication.
Engage with your customers. Start conversations. Answer messages and queries in a timely fashion. If you're not able to monitor channels as frequently as you like, you can invest in chatbots and AI to do some of the heavy lifting for you. While they cannot necessarily handle every aspect of a customer's inquiry, they can quickly respond and queue them up for further action. It's a great way to save some of your time and keep customers happy simultaneously.
Tell a story
Business has become more and more experiential as time goes on. That is, instead of shopping strictly for products, many customers are also shopping for experiences. They want to hear stories. They want to feel connected to their favorite brands. Younger crowds, in particular, want to be proud of where they spend their money. Since it's relatively easy to start a business (less so to succeed), many markets are highly saturated. This speaks to the previous point of connection as well. Make sure your business, your brand, and your products tell a story that your customers can be a part of.
While this isn't a holistic list of every marketing tip and trick on the planet, it's honed in on some of the aspects that the modern consumer craves the most. Above all, experiment. Some tactics work better for different businesses and that's OK. Use this guide as a stepping stone to find what works for you. It's a great start to bolstering your brand without emptying your wallet and places the emphasis and the care, attention, and devotion you place into your business.
